Drop side container car



April 12, 1932. G. c. WOODRUFF 1,853,594

DROP SIDE CONTAINER CAR Filed Dec. 18, 1950 4 Sheet-Sheet 1 April 12,.1932. e. c. WOODRUFF DROP SIDE CONTAINER CAR Filed Dec. 18, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 2 April 12, 1932. G. c. WOODRUFF DROP SIDE CONTAINER CAR18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

gwoe'nlor 0M April 12, 1932. G. c. WOODRUFF DROP SIDE CONTAINER CAR]Filed Dec. 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT- OFFICE. 'a

GI-R-AHAMv C. W OODRUFF, F BRONXVILLE, NEW. YORK,.,ASSIGNOR TO C. L.COR- IPOBATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE l nnor srnn CONTAINER oneApplication filed December 18, 1930. SerialN o) 503,299.

This invention relates to improvements in container cars of the typebroadly disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 16,073, of May 19, 1925, and.more particularly to improvements in drop side container cars of thetype shown, for example, in my prior application Serial No. ess rem,vfiled April .12, 1929, Pat. No. 1,7 88,075; Jan. 6, 1931, and my priorapplication Serial No. 359,392, filed April30, 1929, Pat. No. 1,807,268, May2 5, 1931, inwhich the container holding spaces or compartmentsofa gondola car are formed by transverse bulk heads or partitions,closed at the sides of the car by drop doors designed tobe let down toserve as gang planks for the transfer of the containers to and from thecar and forming the drop sides of the car. This "drop side type of caris of advantage'in allowing the containers to be loaded on or 7 removedfrom the car without the use ofan overhead crane with which manystations are not equipped. V

The main object of the'present invention is to provide a drop sidecontainer car in which i the construction of the combined compartmentforming partitions anddoor jambs is simplified'and rendered less heavyand cumbersome and more open than in the drop side container carshereinbefore in use, without sacrifice of strength and durability, andwith theadvantage ofreducing the cost of construction and the amount ofdead weight carried by thecar, andof producing acar which may be readilyand conveniently cleaned and repaired and kept in thorough workingcondition at materially, less cost.

A further object of the invention is to pro,-

vide a construction whichpermits ready renewal ofabutment parts of thecompartment forming partitions when damaged or worn,

and which provides a more reliable and ellicient type of locking meansfor preventing casual release of thelocking devices holding the dropdoors in closed position.

The invention consists of the V of parts, hereinafter fully describedand claimed, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

features of construction,.comblnatlon and arrangement tainer ca'rembodying my invention, with containers mounted therein, and'showingsome of the drop doors in letdown POSltlOIl.

F 1g. 2 1s a similar vlew with containers-'removed and all the dropsides let down.

Fig. 3is a perspective view of the container car, looking toward ,thecarfrom a point adjacent one end 'thereo'f, and showing clearly theconstructionof the compartment forming partitions and door jambs and theopentype of cars produced'thereby, some of. the drop doors being shownin closed position and othersin open position.

Fig; L is a vertical transverse section through'the car-and taken-on aline through one ofthe'partitions.

F ig. 5'is a similar sectional view,-taken on a line at one side of thepartition.

Fig.- 6 is'a section on line 6+6 of Fig. 5;

1 Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on lines 7--7 and 79 8'8 of Fig, 4 looking,respe'ctively, toward .the cross rail of the partition and toward thefloor of the'car.

I Fig. 9 is a view similar toFig. 5 showing in dotted linesthe door inreleased'position and in dot and dash lines the door in let downposition and employed in conjunction with a'runway. 7 v

Fig. 10 :is' a view on an enlarged scale of aportion of the car lookingtoward aclos'ed 7 door.

' Fig. 11' isa-vertical section v on the line transversely disposedpartitions 3 into spaces or compartments 4to receive the containers 5.

The containers 5 may be of the well'known' forms and constructions ingeneral use, those shown in the present instance being of that typeprovided with depending feet 6 to rest upon the floor or platform 2.Suitable means may "be provided in each compartment for engaging andholding the container 7 from shifting therein. In the present instance,the floor or platform is provided at the corners of each compartmentwith recesses or sockets 7 to receive the lower ends'of the feet 6,or-retaining members thereon, whereby the containers are held fromshiftng movements.

Each partition 3 comprises a cross bar or rail 8, preferably of metaland of T-shape in cross-section, said bar being horizontally disposedwith its flat face uppermost and provided'with a depending centralflange 9. The

ends of the flange 9 of the bar or rail 8 are secured by bolts or rivets10 to legs,

, stanchions'or upright bracket'plates 11 at the plates, the lower endsof the said parts 12 of which plates are riveted or otherwise firmlyfastened to a. filler. plate 12', whereby such "lower ends ofthe parts12 are stayed and held in properly spaced relation. The longitudinallyextending parts 13 of the angle metal plates are arranged to form doorjambs at the sides of the respective compartments 4, and the lower endsof said parts 13 are riveted, bolted or otherwise rigidly fastened tothe side frame 11. The parts 11, 11' 12 and 13 form posts or standardsat the sides of the car, and jambs or abutments against which the door 4may close, and said parts cooperate with the cross bars 8 to providearched partitions across the car and subdividing the same into thecompartments 4. The cross bars or rails 8 have secured thereto abutmentor wear strips 15 of wood or'other '40 suitable material, designed,without material addition of weight, to 'form renewable abutmentsurfaces increasing the width andstrength of the partition barsan'd'forming abutments against which the containers may '45 bear andwhich will sustain any rubbing wear and relieve themetal bars themselvestherefrom,"said strips also providing comparatively soft wear surfacesto avoid marring or injuring the containers. These strips. fit beneaththe body portions of the bars and bear fagainstthe flanges 9 thereof andare secured to the flanges .by

proved fastenings.

. The construction of the partitions comprising the cross bars or rails8, legs 11, angle metal plates 12,- fillers 12', and wear strips 15 asset forth, providesvvery light but strong and-durable, partitions forsub dividing the car into containing receiving compartments f which arein communication with each other beneaththe cross bars, thus doing awaywith the useof' solid or substantially solid bulk I heads of thecharacter heretoforein use. By this means a moreopen type of car is pro-W duced, that is,

bolts, rivets or other ap I a car which is open from end to end beneaththe partition bars or rails 8, whereby the use and transportation of alarge amount of dead weight, such as exists in solid bulk heads, isavoided, without materially reducing the strength and rigidity of thecar and the partitions between the container receiving compartments.This open type of car is not only cheaper to construct, but cheaper toclean and repair in order to maintain it in first class'workingcondition, as access may be more readily and conveniently obtained toall parts thereof. The cross bars or rails 8, in some cases, may be leftentirely in the clear between the posts to which it is attached, but itis preferable to provide suitable intermediate bracing means, such as inverted U-shaped braces 16 comprisingmembers riveted at their upper endsto the flange 9 and attheir lower ends to suitable portions of the carunderframe. v

' The car is provided with end walls 17, preferably of stationary orrigid type, and formed of metal plates provided at their upper edgeswith end cross bars or rails 18, which may include wear strips similarto the wear strips 15. The side walls of the car, however, are ofsectional type, each comprising a plurality of independently movablesections or doors 19 equal in number to the compartments 4 and adaptedwhen in normal position to close the normally open sides of saidcompartments. Each door is provided adjacent its lower corner portionswith trunnions 20, fitted to rotate and to have vertical slidingmovements in elongated trunnion bearings 21 secured tothe outwardlyextending flanges or webs 13 of the postsl2. Near their upper cornersthe posts are provided with bolts or latch members 22 adapted forengagement with elongated bearing and keeper slots 23 in keeper plates24, also secured to said flanges13 of the posts 12. The slots 23 open attheir upper ends through the forward edges of the keeper plates,

whereby each door through the sliding engagement ofits trunnions 20-withthe trunnion bearings-21 may be swung inwardly and slid, downwardly to aclosed position in which bolts 22 will restat the bottom of the keeperslots 23 and holdtfhe door :in'such po' sition, as shown in fulllines-in. Fig. 9, or the door may he slid upwardly to released position, a shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9,'a1nd then downwardly tolet-down or open position, as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 9 Whenthe door is disposed in open position, it is adapted to function asasgangplank between the car and a station platform, as shown in Fig. 9,allowing a hand truck or other transfer device carrying aEcontainer tobe moved to and from the station platform for loading the containersinto'the car compartments 4 or removing the same therefrom.

The bolts 22 and keepers 24 are provided for lockingithe doors in!closed position against outward movement aseach door is moved inwardlyand downwardly-to such .In addition, there may be protion against anypossibility of casual upward displacement. It will be observed, however,

that as each door when closed is locked auto-i matically against openingmovement by means which, under all ordinary conditions,

will hold it securely'against opening move-" ment while the car is enroute, or at a station, .even though the manually operable latches' arenot latched, there is little or no danger of a door swingingoutwardly-when the car is in transit and sideswiping another car on anadjacent track. Reintorcements 27 are provided on each door forsustaining the door against bulging and against distorting pressureswhen employed as a gangpla-nk,

and a stop 28 is provided on the side frame 11 for cooperation with eachdoor to furtheras- 'sist in sustaining it against bulging pressures.This stop, when the "door is 1n closed position, engages a recess in aflange'at the lower end of the door, and on the door is'an abutmentstrip 29 which reinforces the recessed part of the flange. Handholds 30may also be provided on the door to further enable it to be readily andconveniently manipulated in its opening and closing movements.

In each door areformed openings 31 with 1 which hooks 32 on a runwayboard 33 may be engaged to hold the runway board securely against theupper edge of thedoor when the latter is in position to form a gangway,as

shown in Fig. 9.

It is desirable in practice to provide fastening means of automatic typeto engage the closed doors and hold the same positively from upwardmovement, so that, even in the event of failureto engage the latches 25with their keepers 26, the doors will beheld against any possibility ofupwardmovement. The

fastening means for this purpose comprises a pivoted gravity orspring-operated locking member 34 for engagement with a lockingprojection at the upper end of each keeper plate 24, said locking member34 being pivoted at its inner end to a bar 8, as at 35, and provided atits outer free endwith a beveled surface and a hook to engage thelocking projection, whereby when the dooris closed latch each bar 8 forcoaction with each locking member 34 is a holdingdog 36, pivoted at itsinner end, as at 37, and having an outer end 38 forming a stop shoulderfor engagement with the pivoted end of themember 34 when said member 34is inlocking position, thus" preventing said member 34 from swingingupwardly to released position. Both the looking or latch member 34 andthe dog 36 are of suflicient weight to lie in their engag:

.ing: positions. by gravity against .any movements of the-car liable'toshift themto an inoperative position under movements of the car intravel, so that a reliable safety automatic rlock will .be provided. Thelocking members 34 or their equivalent are designed to be used at alltimes whether or not the locking elements 22and 23am used. It willbe'evident, of course, that the-secured doors, =therefore,-can not "beopened untilthe safety -dogsi36 are shifted to retracted position.

From the oregoin'g,it 'willbe seen that my invention provides acontainercar which enables the objects of the invention to be carried out in asimple, reliable :and; efi'ective manner, and which will be of requisitestrength and durability,while-cheaper in construction, than prior earsof this type having solid bulk heads, and that the construction is alsosuch 'as to. adapt the car to be cleaned and repaired in a'readier andeasier manner, and sothat the .cost of repairing and maintaining the.samein serviceable condition will be reduced. Other advantages of theinvention willibe readily understood bythose versed intheart without .afurther and extended description. e v I While the constructiondisclosedis preferred, it is to be understood that changes in the form,fconstruction,arrangement and proportions of parts may be made withinthe scope of' the "appended claims, without departing from .the spirit.or sacrificingany of the'advantages of this invention 1 Having thusfully described my invention,

I claim: 1

1. A containercar provided with container receiving compartments "formedby :transverse partitions of open-work character and establishingcommunication between therespective compartments, each comprisinguprights at the sides of the .car and a'crossbar ;connecting said"uprights, thezuprights of adacent partitions forming doorways for theinterveningcompartment at opposite sides of thezcar. I.

i 2. A container car havingiendrwalls, and a longitudinal seriesofcompartments vfor-riled by transverse partitions of jopenworkconstruction and-establishing communication bectween ttheCOITIDa-EtHIEIItQfHDd closures 'for'the sidesof the compartments forming:drop side walls'o t'the car. member 34 will automatically move into en-I gagement with the. projection. Arranged on .3. A seontai-ner carhaving a longitudinal series of compartments formed by' archedtransversely extending partitions, said 'compartments being open: at thesides of the car and havingjam'bs formed by the partitions, anddoors forsaid compartments adapted to close against saidjanibs and providing dropsides for the compartments adapted'to'serve as gan planks. I 1 I r 7 4:A 'on'tamer car having a longitudinal" series ot-compartments formed by:a rched openwork partitions, the compartments beingopen at the sides ofthe car and the ends of the. Y partition forming jambs at opposite sidesof the openings, and side walls forthe 'car. com-- prising independentsections forming doors for the compartments adapted to close against asaid jambs.

5. A container car having end Walls, compartment forming partitionsbetween the end walls, each partitioncomprising uprights at the sides ofthe carand a cross-bar connecting said uprights, said uprights'serving'as door jambs and doors at the sides of the car for closing thecompartments and'adapted to close against-said jambs andfo'rming' thedrop-side walls of the car.

' 6, A containerfcar having compartment forming partitions, andrenewable wear by partitions, each partition comprising upstrips carriedby said partitions.

7. A contamer car having a plurality of container receivlng compartmentsformed rightssat'thesides of the'car and a crosspiece connecting saiduprights, and renewable strips secured to the sides of the cross piecey8. A container car having-a longitudinal series of compartments formedby transverse partitions, each including uprights and a cross-bar, saidcross-bar being T-shaped in cross-section, and removable wear stripsunderlyingthehorizontal' webs of the bar and secured to the flangethereof.

piec connecting said uprights, elongated bearings on the uprights, openrecessed keepers on the uprights, doorshaving trunnions and lockingprojections respectively engaging the bea'ringsrand keepers, pivotedlocklng members on the partitions adapted to. engage the doors to holdthe same from uprights, said uprights and cross-piece eingT-shapedincross-section, wear strips secured to the cross pieces ofthebars, and independ 'ent'doors adapted to rest in closed positionagainst the uprights and partitions and to close the sides of thecompartments and 1 adapted to drop down to open position to affordaccess to the sides of the compartments. 14, A'containercar having endWalls and arched partitions forming communicating compartments betweenthe end walls, the portions of the partitions at the sides of the carproviding door jambs, and drop doors adapted to close against saidjambs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF.

9.v A container carfhaving a longitudinal I series of compartmentsformed by transverse partitions, each comprising door jamb 'form inguprights at the'sides ofthe car and a cross railconnecting saiduprights, wear strips secured to the cross rail, and wall forming dropdoors at the oppositesi'des of the car-adapted to rest against said jambs to close said compartments. I

. 10. 'A containerv car having a floor and a longitudinal seriesofcompartments formed thelsides of the car, and a of arched openworkpartitions, each embodying 'flanged members forming uprights at flangedcrossbar connecting said uprights, the flanges of r the upright formingmembers'providing'door 'jambs at the sidesof the car, and doors adaptedto close against said j ambsb i 11*; A container, car havingalongitudinal series of compartments formed by transverse pa-rtitionsjeach comprising jamb forming uprights at the sides of the car an'dacrosspiece connecting said uprights, elongatedr bearings on theuprights, open recessed keep .7 ers on the uprights, doors havingtrunnions and locking projections respectively engag- 1 ,12. A containercar having a longitudinal series of compartments formed; by transversepart tions, each comprising Jamb forming 1 4 5 uprights atthe sides ofthe car and a cross 7 ,ing the bearings and keepers, and means adaptedto interlock with the doors to hold the same from sliding movement. V

